5/26/2011

Stove-Top Baked Beans

Continuing with some sides for those barbecue meals-- Stove-Top Baked Beans. I make pots of this during the warmer months mainly because I make mounds of coleslaw. What do I mean by that? Not sure if it's a regional thing, but down South, we made sure our food was "touching" on the plate. So when we take a forkful of beans, we also spear some coleslaw onto the same bite. Classic creamy coleslaw with smoky, sweet beans makes for one tasty combination.

Growing up, I watched my mother make her beans and it was always a can of beans, a bit of brown sugar, ketchup, some mustard, and a few slices of bacon on top. It was then baked in the oven. I usually have something in the oven taking up space, so I wanted a recipe that I could put on the stove. I also wanted a different texture to my beans, so I use a mix of canned baked beans and canned dark red kidney beans. I use my mom's addition of ketchup and brown sugar, but I like the taste of grainy Dijon mustard in lieu of the standard American ball-park mustard. Throw in some onions and sautéed bacon and you've got yourself a perfect pot of beans.

The coleslaw and beans are great on their own, but if you are like me and my family and you like your food "touching", then please try this combo with pork, burgers, chicken, or anything else that needs two great sides.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook the bacon until lightly browned and most of the fat has rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced onion and sauté until the onions are soft, another 5-7 minutes. Add the baked beans, kidney beans, brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard; stir until combined. Reduce the temperature to medium-low to maintain a low and gentle simmer. Cover the beans and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom. Uncover the beans and continue to cook for another 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the beans have thickened. Stir in the pepper and taste for seasoning, adding more pepper if needed. Enjoy!

These look so good! We make a lot of chili, but I hadn't though of making baked beans! Would love if you linked up to my Vegetarian Blog Hop! http://theiowafarmerswife.blogspot.com/2011/05/vegetarian-recipes-blog-hop.html